YOUR PONDS:

A single pond of 9,000 gallons with two upflow,
under gravel filters. Each filter measures 5 ft wide x 8 ft long and 3 ft
high. These large filters are concrete and manufactured by KOI JOY for local
use (they weigh in at 5 tons each). This pond system uses two
KJ4000LH pumps
with a third to go in soon. The construction of the pond was free form
kidney shaped, 4 ft deep, 22 ft wide by 42 ft long. Two 4" bottom drains
assure plenty of flow into a large skimmer basket in a pit, which supplies
the two centrifugal pumps. A large surface skimmer keeps leaves and floating
material off the ponds surface.

The owners have landscaped around their pond with bamboo, pine trees, ferns
and boulders. One large deck reaches out over the pond to provide shade if
needed for the 75 large koi. The deck is supported over the water by four
posts which rest on the bottom of the pond. The deck also serves as a natural
gathering place for any visitors. The owners spend their evenings here feeding
their fish and enjoying their own small paradise.

A small deck nearby also hangs over the pond. This deck has trap doors built
into it to conceal the skimmer, the pumps, and all valves, etc.

A unique feature of this home/pond system is the integration of a new water
source heating system for the home with a highly efficient pond water
makeup/de-icing system for the pond. The water source heat pumps use 62 degree
farenheit well water for its heat source instead of local air. This means
that year-round, a lot of heating for the home is available for free. Water
source heat pumps can use as little as 1/5 or 20% of the energy to heat a
home as electrical resistance heating. It also means that after the water
leaves the heating system at a still warm 45-50 degrees, it is available
as warm, clean water for makeup to the pond. This has resulted in free de-icing
and winterization of the pond for the owners. They no longer have to use
pond de-icers, heat tape, blankets and lamps to protect their pipes and filters
from freezing. They save more than $150/month with this system and because
the ponds water is changed more frequently, they have healthier fish!

Annonymous.

We look forward to receiving information regarding unique ponds or pond systems.
Please send descriptions as in the following example:

LOCATION: City, State, etc. Weather Conditions etc.

MATERIAL: Concrete, EPDM, vinyl, Fibre glass, etc.

BASIC DESIGN: 3 ponds connected by streams and waterfalls. Total of 9,000
gallons. Water is recirculated in excess of 1.1 times per hour.

LANDSCAPING: Bamboo, moss, flagstone.

PUMPS: (3) KJ3600 pumps for total of 170 gpm.

FILTRATION: In pond undergravel filter which covers entire bottom.

EFFICIENCY RATING: This is a rating that you give your pond system base on
your knowledge of other ponds. Use a rating of 1-10 with 1 being low and
10 being the highest efficiency. A 10 would mean that you use the highest
efficiency pumps, don't require winter heating or summer cooling due to design
considerations. Other things that can be done to reduce energy consumption
would be to design your water return (waterfalls, stream, etc.) with
a minimum required elevation to reduce pumping costs. A 5 would then be average
in this category. This will be an increasingly important category as energy
costs go up.

UNIQUE ASPECTS OF YOUR POND:

OTHER MAGAZINE SECTIONS

Problems & Solutions: If you're about to build
a pond or already own one, be sure to check out these stories from other
pond keepers. Avoiding any one of these oversights could save you from a
disaster waiting to happen.

Best Pond Products, New & Old: We submit
those products that we thought were worthy of space in our magazine. In some
cases we link them to other home pages or sources. If you know of a wonder
product that should be here, let us know.

Web Sites to Check Out: This won't include
them all and until you tell us of them, it may not even include the best.
Check out our list and compare it with your's.In most cases we include a
link to the site.

Feedback, From You: This section will include
comments, suggestions, and answers to questions, etc. Send in that E Mail!